Reel mowers use a scissoring action, rather than a tearing action, to shear grass and like foliage. Such reel mowers typically provide a high quality cut, but require more maintenance than rotary mowers. Golf course superintendents prefer such mowers where appearance and healthy grass are important, such as on golf greens.
In a typical reel mower assembly, an attachment member, commonly called a bedbar or backer, attaches to the apparatus in rigid relationship to the reel, and a replaceable bedknife attaches to the bedbar. The bedknife is maintained parallel to the reel axis and in close proximity to the reel knives so that the reel and the bedknives achieve a quality sheering action. Typically, an adjustment mechanism allows movement of the bedbar relative to the reel so that the bedknife can be moved into proper relationship with the rotating reel.
More specifically, conventional reel blade systems include a reel that is supported for rotation about a fixed axis. The reel is operably coupled to a power device, such as an electric motor, internal combustion motor, or manual gear system, which serves to rotatably drive the reel relative to a fixed bedknife. The bedknife is typically attached to a bedbar with a plurality of screws placed through holes in the bedknife and into engagement with threaded holes formed in the bedbar. A reel mower unit used in a typical golf course application may use multiple reel mower assemblies.
Conventional reels often present many challenges for manufacture because of their complex assembly of multiple components that require extensive machining and/or welding. For instance, conventional reel assemblies require a shaft, a plurality of spiders welded to and extending from the shaft within a predetermined tolerance, and a plurality of blades fixedly coupled to the plurality of spiders. The shaft, spiders, and blades are further machined to facilitate coupling with additional mower components and each other. As a result of the need to weld various portions of the reel assembly, the maximum blade material hardness is limited. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that as a result of such complex manufacturing steps, the complexity and resultant costs are increased.
During operation, reel assemblies are often subjected to damaging debris, such as stones and the like, debris sometimes jams between the fixed bedknife and the rotating reel. Consequently, damage to one or more portions of the reel mower assembly may result. Reels may also sustain damage when contacting a substantially buried obstruction. Damage to the reel can be quite costly and problematic, given the close tolerances required for proper operation. Furthermore, a reel tends to wear the more often it is used, thereby requiring skilled and costly adjustment of the bedknife relative to the reel.